The present invention relates to skating apparatus and more particularly to roller skating apparatus wherein the position of the truck and wheel assemblies on the skate may be infinitely adjusted along the length of a rigid support member embedded within the sole of the shoe.
In recent years, there has been a dramatic resurgence in public interest and participation in roller skating, prompted primarily by the development of polyurethane wheels and improved truck and bearing assemblies which have provided new dimensions of speed and maneuverability to the sport. The vast scope of the resurgence in this rather old and well known sport is evidenced by the construction and opening of numerous skating rinks around the country as well as the anticipated introduction of roller figure skating in future Pan American and Olympic games.
In response to this resurgence, there has been an increasing public demand for more sophisticated roller skating equipment suitable for use in competitive speed skating, figure skating, and trick or stunt skating applications. In particular, there exists a need for a roller skate shoe which is rigid in nature possessing a low center of gravity to aid in maneuverability, is provided with an adjustment means whereby the truck and wheel assemblies may be positioned at the most advantageous position for the particular user, and may be modified to receive one or more truck or wheel assemblies for stunt or trick skating applications. Further, the purchasing public requires such a roller skate shoe including all of the above features to additionally be light weight and comfortable to wear as well as esthetically pleasing.
Presently, most roller skate shoes are constructed from a boot member, typically including a flexible sole and heel, onto which is securely mounted a rigid beam extending approximately one to two inches below the sole of the boot. This beam securely mounts a pair of truck and wheel assemblies to the boot as well as a toe stop adjacent the front end thereof. Although these prior art shoe skates provide a significant improvement over the original metal wheel and frame clamp-on skating devices and have proven useful in their limited application, they fail to meet the more sophisticated demands made by the general public.
In particular, prior art shoe skates utilizing an externally mounted rigid beam which extends substantially below the sole of the shoe possess a high center of gravity which significantly hinders the user's maneuverability while upon the skates. Further, due to the prior art raised heel design, the arch section of the shoe located intermediate the heel and the toe tends to flex downward against the top surface of the rigid beam during use. This flexing of the sole may cause the bolts mounting the exterior beam to the sole of the shoe to loosen thereby further decreasing maneuverability and often posing a signification safety hazard to the user.
Additionally, the prior art skate shoes have typically been void of any means for adjusting the position of the wheel sets relative the length of the shoe and, as such, fail to compensate for the differing foot features of individual users. Although one prior art U.S. Pat. No. 310,923 issued to C. E. Wardwell, Jan. 20, 1885, has recognized to a limited extent the problems of providing an adjustable wheel set on the skate shoe, the degree of adjustability provided by the disclosed design is extremely limited, and the high center of gravity skate shoe required by the disclosed adjustment mechanism both present significant problems. As such, the prior art roller skate shoes have failed to provide a sophisticated skating apparatus and additionally have failed to meet the needs and demands of the purchasing public.